Journey out of debt. debt help. Your guide to CAP s debt counselling service. CAP Debt Coach name. CAP Debt Centre number. Client Services number

Transcription

1 Journey out of debt Your guide to CAP s debt counselling service CAP Debt Coach name CAP Debt Centre number Client Services number CAP reference number debt help

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3 Welcome to the CAP family! Now you have asked CAP for help you have hundreds of people who believe in you and will work hard for you on your Journey out of Debt. You may feel alone in your situation, but actually millions of people in the UK are struggling with debt. I also understand what you are going through. In the 1990s, I was in a lot of debt. I felt depressed and like things would never get better. I worked hard and paid off my debts, but it was difficult and I wished there was someone who could have helped me. Because of what I had been through and my Christian faith, I decided to start CAP in We now help 27,500 people every year to find a way out of debt, and you re about to become one of them welcome to the CAP family! Working together you will have a debt free future. God bless, John Kirkby Founder of Christians Against Poverty 3.

4 27,500 clients helped every year. CAP handles over 56million of debt on behalf of their clients. When people are the most desperate and need the most help the place I send people to is CAP, because it works. Martin Lewis Money Saving Expert CAP works with over 1,000 finance and utility companies. We also help people in other ways: You can find out more about these services at capuk.org, or by asking your Debt Coach. debt centres debt centres CAP Money Course A money management course that gives you the opportunity to learn skills that have a lasting impact on your finances. CAP Job Clubs Give help and support to the unemployed through an eight-week course, community, and one-to-one coaching sessions. 4.

5 When I was in debt, it was like a heavy cloud pushing down on me all the time. It got to the stage where I was buying food for the kids but not for myself. I would just eat the leftovers - if there were any. I was really low all the time, I felt very guilty and like a failure. Jo came to see me from CAP. She was so friendly and approachable. She took all the paperwork and debts away, it was such a relief! The day I went debt free I felt so liberated; absolute freedom. Kim, Bradford I d been in full-time employment with a good salary. After I lost my job, I had constant phone calls and letters asking for money, and bailiffs knocking on the door. It was unbearable. I had a nervous breakdown and tried to commit suicide, twice. I was in despair. Then I saw a leaflet for CAP and booked my home visit. There was not one word of judgement; it was absolutely wonderful. It was like a burden was lifted from me. When they left, I cried with relief. I feel like a different person now I don t have to worry about finances. If CAP hadn t come into my life when it did, I d be dead. CAP saved my life. John, Kendal I felt like I was in a dark hole, just sinking, I felt like I was the only one sinking. I d go to bed at night but wasn t sleeping; I was very depressed. It was having an impact on my work and the people around me. Between the first and second CAP visit, my post dwindled. The phone calls practically stopped straight away. On the odd occasion I got a letter or bailiffs knocking, I could tell them I was with CAP - that was reassuring. When people ring CAP, they are looking for hope and that s what they receive. Yvonne, Wolverhampton 5.

6 1 First visit What will happen when you work with CAP Play the DVD TV RENT ELECTRIC PHONE 1 2 TV RENT ELECTRIC PHONE WATER WATER INCOME INCOME TV RENT ELECTRIC PHONE First visit Your Debt Coach will explain CAP s service and show you our DVD. They will explain exactly what paperwork you need to give to us so that we can help you DEBT FREE OPTION 1 OPTION 2 OPTION 3 DEBT FREE OPTION 1 OPTION 2 OPTION 3 to create a budget Budget visit TV RENT ELECTRIC PHONE WATER WATER DEBT FREE OPTION 1 OPTION 2 OPTION 3 INCOME INCOME DEBT FREE OPTION 1 OPTION 2 OPTION 3 TV About your CAP Debt Coach RENT ELECTRIC PHONE 1 2 Your Debt Coach has been trained by Christians Against Poverty to support you through the process of becoming debt free. They are specially trained to explain the advice from our Head Office Casework teams. They will be only too happy to introduce themself to you properly! TV RENT ELECTRIC PHONE WATER WATER INCOME INCOME Fact Find visit Your Debt Coach will gather all your information and paperwork from you. A caseworker at Head Office will use this information DEBT FREE OPTION 1 OPTION 2 OPTION 3 DEBT FREE OPTION 1 OPTION 2 OPTION 3 The Head Office Casework team will have created a detailed budget. They will have contacted your priority creditors where necessary. Your Debt Coach will explain this budget to you. After this visit, you need to begin paying into your CAP Plan as soon as possible. Your Debt Coach will also present the different options to you to get out of debt and advise you on which one we think best fits your situation. DEBT FREE OPTION 1 OPTION 2 OPTION DEBT FREE OPTION 1 OPTION 2 OPTION Continuous support After your budget visit, we will contact your secondary creditors. We will support you until you become debt free, as long as you continue to work well and co-operate with us. 6.

7 1 First visit Words you need to understand There are a lot of words used to talk about money and sometimes it can all get a bit confusing! Hopefully, this list will help you to quickly find out what some of the words mean. If you are ever confused by a word or explanation, just ask us what it means. We re happy to explain! Priority creditor Secondary creditor A priority creditor is a company you owe money to for things like gas, electricity, rent, council tax and water. A secondary creditor is a company you owe money to for things like credit card debt, unsecured loans or overdrafts. Arrears Asset Any money that you should have paid but haven t. For example, a gas bill that hasn t been paid. This is anything that you own which is worth money. Assets might be things like your house, caravan or car etc. Credit This word is usually used to describe any money that you have borrowed from someone else. It can also be used to describe your bank balance when it is above 0. 7.

8 1 First visit First visit What you need to do What we will do If you work with us, you will become debt free in a reasonable amount of time and be released from the pressure of unmanageable debt. However, getting out of debt takes time and effort from you and CAP. We need to know that you are committed to the process. To get out of debt I agree: To take out no more credit. This means loans, mail order catalogues, hire purchase, social fund loans, or anything else like these. To stop using my credit cards. To supply all the paperwork that CAP ask me for. To respond to letters and calls from CAP. To live within the agreed budget. To pay the agreed amount into my CAP Plan. This amount will be taken from the budget prepared by Head Office. It will cover your bill payments and debt repayments. That all of my creditors will be treated equally. To take on board any advice provided by CAP. To tell CAP if my income, bills or debts change at all. To let CAP negotiate with creditors on my behalf. After your second visit (the Fact Find visit), our head office team will contact any priority creditors that you have arrears with (rent, gas, electric, Council Tax, etc.) to advise them that we are assisting you. If there is an urgent situation with one of your priority creditors, we will contact them as soon as possible to deal with this. After your third visit (Budget visit), we will contact your priority creditors to agree payment plans. As long you have signed a standing order form or made a direct payment in to your CAP Plan, we will also contact your secondary creditors (credit cards, loans, doorstep collectors, etc.) to tell them how we plan to deal with your debts. During this time, these creditors will continue to contact you directly don t worry about this. Read page ten to see what to do. When we start making regular payments to them, most creditors will stop contacting you, so stick with it and things will get better. When we contact your creditors, we will ask them to stop adding interest and charges to your debt. Although we can t guarantee that they will agree to this, we have seen good success in the past because of our great relationships with most of the major banks and debt companies. They respect our work and trust us. Interest and charges can t always be stopped straight away and you may find that the balance of your debt increases in the short term. We can only make payments to secondary creditors on your behalf when we have a recent piece of paperwork for each debt. A credit report does not count. 8.

9 1 First visit Please note: If you have not been making the agreed repayments on your debt, it could be passed on to different departments within a company, or sold to a debt collection company. This can mean interest and charges are stopped quicker, but it could also mean your credit rating is affected. If you do not pay the correct amount into your CAP Plan or do not provide information that we request, we may have to close your case and you will no longer have access to our service. Any money you pay in to CAP may be held by CAP for more than five business days without being distributed to creditors. This is because we make payments to creditors on a set date each month (either the 3 rd, 10 th, 17 th or 24 th ). This may mean that creditors are paid on a different or later date than they had previously agreed to and/or they will be paid later than if you had made the payment directly to them yourself. 9.

10 1 First visit How the CAP Plan works 1 Step 1 2 Step 2 3 Step 3 Your CAP Plan will simplify your bill payments and debt repayments. You make a regular payment to CAP (weekly, fortnightly, four-weekly or monthly) to tie in with when you receive your income. The best way to make payments into your CAP Plan is by standing order. If necessary, you can use some CAP paying in slips at a Lloyds bank. Please ask your Debt Coach for some if needed. You have your own individual reference number so the money you pay in is allocated to your plan. If you pay into your CAP Plan by internet or telephone banking, you will need to give your reference number. The money you pay into your CAP Plan is yours. You can withdraw it at any time, but this may mean that the payment CAP has arranged with your creditor cannot be made. To make a withdrawal, just give your Head Office Casework team five working days notice. This money will be used to pay your agreed payments. These could include priority payments, priority debts, secondary creditors and savings. Your Debt Coach will go through these details on the budget visit. If you do not pay into your plan, we will not be able to make these payments so it s very important that you pay in regularly. 1 You pay in to your CAP Plan Set up a standing order. Your Debt Coach can provide paying in slips if you are unable to use a standing order. 2 Your money arrives and is allocated to your plan 3 CAP distributes your money for you Priority payments Priority debts Secondary debts Your savings 10.

11 1 First visit Next steps I/we understand that CAP is committed to helping with my/our debts, but to enable them to do this: I/we need to collect the relevant paperwork. I/we understand that CAP will not contact any creditors until after the Fact Find visit. I am/we are committed to working with CAP. Signed Date D D M M Y Y Y Y Signed Date D D M M Y Y Y Y Playing your part Continue to pay any priority bills that are due. These include things like rent, Council Tax/rates, TV licence, insurance, and other similar things. If you are able to make token payments to your secondary creditors of a minimum of 1 per month, this may help to reduce the amount of contact you get from them. It is important that you make sure you have enough money for food and priority payments before making token payments. Your Debt Coach will explain this to you using the advice from our head office team. When your creditors contact you: By letter. Just hold onto them until your Fact Find visit. Letters may start to get nastier and threaten court action but don t worry, it is just part of the standard process. By phone or at the door. Politely ask them to send you a letter giving details of your outstanding debt and explain that you are getting help from Christians Against Poverty. Tell them when your next appointment is and give them your CAP reference number if you have it. Don t give in to them and, if necessary, put the phone down or close the door. If you are overdrawn on your current bank account (or have other debts with your current bank such as loans or credit cards), you will need to open a new basic bank account with a bank that you have no other debts with. It is very important that you have done this before your Fact Find visit, as your existing bank may freeze your account and then you won t have access to your money. See page twelve for more advice. Read Client Authority and Interim Agreement. 11.

12 1 First visit Your next visit is the Fact Find visit This visit can only happen when you have all the paperwork we need (see below). Please let us know straight away if you need to rearrange this visit, as we will then be able to use the time to see another client who is waiting. Date D D M M Y Y Y Y Time Fact Find checklist Proof of income (inc) Inc 1 Inc 2 Inc 3 Inc 4 Inc 5 Mortgage/rent Arrears for mortgage/rent Current Council Tax Council Tax arrears Gas Gas arrears Electricity Electricity arrears Water Water arrears Enforcement Agent debt Benefit deductions Benefit overpayment Court fines HP agreement Crisis/social fund loan TV licence Secondary debts Minimum 50% of paperwork Credit report 12.

13 1 First visit As well as paperwork, on your Fact Find (second) visit we will need information on the following: Your previous addresses for the last six years Your bank account and previous accounts for the last two years Your job and previous employment Income Expenditure Bills Debts Any of the following, if they apply to you: property, debtors, life insurance/assurance, pensions, motor vehicles or other valuable assets. Opening a new bank account If your current bank account is overdrawn, or you have any credit cards or loans with the same bank as your current account, then you will need to open a new bank account. What to ask the bank for Go to a bank and ask for a basic bank account with a card for a cash machine but not a debit card. (Most high street banks do offer these accounts but don t advertise them, so keep asking). Your income Ask your employer and/or the benefits office to make your next payment into your new bank account. Check with your employer/benefits office that they can make the changes before your next payment. If they can t do it in time you ll have to watch for the payment coming into your old account, withdraw it and pay into your new account straight away. Direct Debits Cancel any Direct Debits or standing orders on your old account. Make sure you pay your rent/mortgage, Council Tax, utilities and insurances, either manually or through your new account. If you are struggling with any of this, you can call your Debt Coach. If you can t get hold of them, call head office on:

14 1 First visit Questions Does CAP s service cost anything? No. The service CAP provides is completely free of charge. We are able to provide a totally free service because CAP is a charity and receives donations from many churches and people who want to help people in debt. Will the people I owe money to co-operate with you? Yes. We are an award winning charity and we are recognised within the finance industry. This means that councils, utility and mortgage companies will usually work with us because they have seen the results of our involvement. They know we offer fair repayments that are based on what you can afford. If we are new to your area, we will be contacting your local council to introduce ourselves. Will working with CAP affect my credit rating? It is possible that your credit rating could be negatively affected by working with CAP. The offer we make to your creditors on your behalf may not be the contractual amount (often known as the minimum payment ). This could lead to a default, which is registered on your credit rating and is likely to be on your record for six years. This may mean you are unable to obtain credit or other financial services during this period. However, this may be a necessary consequence of you getting out of debt. If you are serious about reducing your debt, taking out credit in the near future should not be necessary. Will you pay my debts for me? No. We do not pay your debts with our money. We put together a budget for you that is based on your income and your living expenses. Any money left over will be divided fairly amongst your creditors based on the size of the debt you owe to them. These payments will be made by CAP on your behalf, but with your money. Who do I contact about my debts? Our expert team of debt counsellors at Head Office will manage your debts and finances, and you should contact them if you have any questions regarding your debts. Simply call and you will be put through to the correct casework team. You may need to input your six digit CAP reference number, so please have it ready whenever you call. Who do I contact if I m stressed or worried? Your befriender or Debt Coach is there to listen and provide additional support for you in relation to your debts. They may be able to help with other everyday needs too. If you find you are still feeling stressed or suicidal, we recommend that you contact your GP or The Samaritans as soon as possible. Samaritans helpline:

15 2 Fact Find visit Fact Find visit Forms to sign before your visit Client Authority. This gives us authority to speak to your creditors. We need you to sign this in all your previous names and with all your previous addresses listed. Interim Agreement. This explains what CAP will do and what you need to do until you receive your advice from us at your Budget Visit Your Debt Coach will now ask you about your income, bills and debts to fill in the Fact Find form. Please tell your Debt Coach everything. There is no amount of debt that will shock us, be too big for us to handle or too small to mention. Your Debt Coach will send the Fact Find form to our specially trained caseworkers at CAP s head office in Bradford. They will then work out a budget that you will need to stick to. Please let your Debt Coach know if you think you are not liable for any of the debts. Playing your part Until your budget visit, you will need to continue making the payments you have been making for your priority bills and debts and any token payments towards your secondary debts. You may now let your creditors know that you are working with CAP and that they will be contacted after your budget visit. You need to get hold of the following paperwork to enable the budget visit to go ahead. Your budget visit Date D D M M Y Y Y Y Time 15.

16 2 Fact Find visit Questions How do I pay into my CAP Plan? By using a standing order, you will be able to make a regular payment from your bank account straight into your CAP Plan. Before your standing order is set up, you might have to go to a local branch of Lloyds bank and pay into your plan using paying in slips. If you do need to do this, it is very important that you use the slips you have been given by your Debt Coach and keep the receipt from the bank. What can I do if my income is irregular? The CAP system relies on you making regular payments. If your income isn t regular, we will work out your average income over three months. Your Debt Coach will explain this. How do I withdraw my savings? We can make a payment directly to your bank, or we can send you a cheque. You just need to let your casework team know how much you want to withdraw at least five working days before you need the money. Do I pay all my bills and debts through my CAP Plan? At CAP, we divide everything you need to pay into either priority payments or secondary debts. A priority payment is for things that you need to live (rent, mortgage, water, electricity, or any court order payments or court fines). You should continue to pay these yourself, but if you are behind with your priority payments they will be paid through your CAP Plan. Secondary debts are credit cards, catalogues, bank loans, etc. and will all be paid through your CAP Plan. At your next visit, your Debt Coach will explain which bills are being paid through your CAP Plan and which ones you still need to pay. What if my bills change? If your bills change at any point, send this information to CAP in the Freepost envelopes provided by us. We will then amend your payment amount or contact the relevant company. Every year in April, your bills will be reviewed to take into account annual changes. Please forward any new bills to CAP. 16.

17 2 Fact Find visit Questions (continued) What if I haven t got enough money to make the payment into my CAP Plan? We understand that things go wrong and cost money, which may mean you can t pay the right amount into your CAP Plan. Contacting your casework team is the most important thing you need to do, as they can help you in this situation. As you work with CAP, you will build up some savings that you can use in an emergency (e.g. if the washing machine breaks, or your car needs repairing). What if my income changes? If your income is reduced (e.g. you lose a job or a benefit), just ring your casework team at Christians Against Poverty and we will be able to adjust your budget and talk to your creditors to explain the situation. The worst thing you can do is not tell us and not pay in because you can t afford to. Whatever the situation, we will be able to find a way through for you if you tell us. If you increase your income (e.g. you get a job, gain benefits, or a child starts paying rent) then you need to tell us. We will adjust your budget and you may even become debt free more quickly. Will I need to go bankrupt? If you are unable to repay your debts within a reasonable time, there are a number of options available to you that include bankruptcy. You will be given more information about these options once your budget has been worked out and our advice for you has been prepared. How long will it take to pay back my debts? Everybody s situation is different but we always aim to recommend the best solution for you. Once our caseworkers at head office have assessed your situation, your Debt Coach will explain our advice and give you an idea of how long it might take you to become debt free. This will only ever be a guide because if your income goes up or down, then your debt free date will change too. 17.

18 3 Budget visit Recommended items Some items of expenditure are recommended by CAP and are included in your budget where possible. These could be: Home contents insurance. Buildings insurance, if you own your own house. Life insurance/assurance, if you have dependents. You will need to set these insurance policies up yourself. Playing your part Things that you still need to do:

19 3 Budget visit Sticking with it Continuous support You will have a casework team at CAP s Head Office to support you as you work towards becoming debt free. Our aim is to provide a budget that you can live on and a plan to repay your debts in a reasonable amount of time. If this is not possible, then we will talk to you about other options to get you free from debt. Your Debt Coach will show you another film about insolvency options before a dedicated team of specialists at CAP s head office will look at your case. They will advise you of the best option for your situation and guide you through it. It s a team effort! The process of becoming debt free is truly a partnership between you and CAP. We are doing a lot of work, as you will see. We re negotiating with your creditors, we ll work with you on budgeting and we ll set some great systems up. However, there are two things that we need you to do. The first thing is to trust us. We have helped countless numbers of people over the years but we need you to keep believing in us and working with us. We also need you to do whatever you can in order to help us to help you. Getting out of debt may not be an easy road. You will have to make some hard choices and you will have to stick to your budget. It won t just happen overnight, so we need your commitment to persevere with it. Give us the privilege of working with you and together we will see your life changed. 19.

20 1i Visit Customer one care policy Our aims are: To provide a friendly service, showing respect, sensitivity and courtesy. To have knowledgeable staff who are honest, polite, understand your needs and treat you fairly. To deal with your requests and enquiries accurately and efficiently. To respect your confidentiality. To offer an explanation if we can t answer your request/enquiry. To deal with any problems efficiently and professionally, if they arise. To apologise if we make a mistake and do our best to put things right. To keep appointments on time and respond quickly and in a helpful manner. To treat the people we help and the homes we visit with respect. We want a pleasant and safe environment in which to work and believe that everyone should be treated with dignity and respect. As such, any form of verbal, written or physical abuse, or inappropriate behaviour, towards our staff is unacceptable and will result in the withdrawal of CAP s service. Additionally, failure to co-operate with any reasonable requests for information or action required to progress your case, may also result in CAP s service being withdrawn. We are committed to equality when delivering our services, regardless of a person s gender/sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital/civil partnership status, race/ethnicity, religion or belief. We will also take reasonable steps, where possible, to help you access our service. 20.

21 1i Visit Complaints one procedure Christians Against Poverty aims to provide services of a standard that is acceptable to all our users. If we fail to do this we want to know about it. This will enable us not only to deal with the specific problem, but also to avoid it happening again. This page explains how our complaints procedure will take up any matters where you think the service you have received from Christians Against Poverty is unsatisfactory. If you would rather talk to someone about the complaints procedure please ask your Debt Coach. This procedure is meant to provide a means to resolve a dispute between Christians Against Poverty and any complainant. As an organisation, we would like to hear from you about any of the following: Dissatisfaction with our service, such as inadequate work, problems with casework, unacceptable delay or failure to deliver a service, etc. A dispute between you and a Christians Against Poverty member of staff regarding policy, procedures or activities. Discourtesy or unhelpfulness on the part of Christians Against Poverty appointed representatives or staff. If you wish to make a complaint, there are two ways to do this: By completing a complaints form and handing it to your Debt Coach. These forms are available from all CAP offices, at all home visits and from capuk.org/complaints. By registering a verbal complaint with your Debt Coach or with any other member of Christians Against Poverty staff. Once you have registered your complaint, we will deal with it as follows: Stage one You will be invited to discuss the complaint with the line manager of the member of Christians Against Poverty about whom the complaint is made. This will be done within five working days of the complaint being received. Stage two Should you not be happy with the outcome of stage one, you will be asked to put your complaint in writing to the Quality Assurance department. They will investigate the complaint and respond to you in writing within ten working days of the complaint being escalated by you. Stage three Should you not be happy with the outcome of stage two, the complaint will be referred to the Management Committee Complaints Panel. They will investigate the complaint and respond to you either in writing or at a meeting within 15 days of the complaint being escalated by you. The panel decision will be final. If we cannot resolve your complaint, you can refer it to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) on or by at complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk. The FOS is free to use and is completely independent and impartial. There is a time limit of six months from CAP s final response to your complaint for you to take up your grievance with the FOS. This information is also available at capuk.org/complaints. 21.

22 1i Visit Data one protection What information we will gather about you and how we will use it Christians Against Poverty (CAP) is committed to respecting and protecting the privacy of our clients. This policy sets out how Christians Against Poverty uses and protects any information that you give us. At CAP we are committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected and we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified when you access our service. You can then be assured that it will only be used in accordance with this privacy policy. CAP holds and processes personal details in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and is registered with the Information Commissioner as data controller. Personal details: The information that we collect about you and your family As a client - if you do elect to follow the advice offered by CAP, your personal details will be required so we can contact you. We will keep your personal information confidential and secure and we will only use this data to provide you with the services requested. We will collect the following information: Your name and those of your immediate family who live with you (this may include previous names you have used). Your current or previous job title and place(s) of work. Contact information, including your current address, landline and mobile telephone numbers and addresses. We will also request previous address information if this is required Your income from wages or any benefits that you receive. We will need written proof of these and we will ask you to send us up-to-date information on a yearly basis. Information on any assets you own (such as a house or vehicles) and their values Information on the debts you owe. This will include all debts including debts owed to family members or friends. If you give us information about your physical or mental health, then we will ask your explicit consent to disclose this information to your creditors. Please see the section opposite on Explicit consent. Other information relevant to our debt counselling service. What we do with the information we gather We need this information to understand your needs, provide you with our debt counselling service and give you your options to becoming debt free. We will also gather information for the following reasons: 1. Internal record keeping. 2. To provide you with our debt counselling service. 3. To process any requests, applications or transactions we undertake on your behalf. 4. We may use the information to improve our products and services. 5. We may also need to pass on information when required by law or by a regulatory body (for example, by the Inland Revenue, or if asked for your details by a law enforcement agency). We will use this information only for the reason you have supplied it (or any other reason which you have given us permission to do so). 22.

23 1i Visit Data one protection Explicit consent Under the Data Protection Act, some information is classed as sensitive personal information and the Act gives you extra protection in how this information is held and used. Sensitive information includes a physical or mental health condition that you disclose to us. If you give this information to CAP and wish us to pass this information to a third party (such as your creditors) to assist you in our debt counselling service, we will seek your explicit consent usually in writing. We will explain the specific information that we will disclose, the purpose of using this information and any aspects of the disclosure that may affect you. You may withdraw your consent for us to use this information at any time. Demographic information To help us monitor that our services are being accessed by all, regardless of any potential grounds for discrimination such as age, gender, race, sexual orientation, religious belief, marital status, parental status, employment status, disability, or residence type, we will collect demographic data. We may also use this information to us assist us in delivering our debt counselling service to our clients and for referring them to other agencies, trusts, or bodies as appropriate, which may be able to assist them (for instance trusts which offer hardship grants). Demographic information will be anonymous and will not be identifiable to an individual or family. Statistical information and case studies We do compile general statistics for our charity annual report to demonstrate who is accessing our service, levels and type of debt, age groups, etc. We may also use general statistics to promote the services we provide and for general media enquires. These will also be in a form that does not identify any individual or family. We may also use case studies to demonstrate the problems and issues that our clients face when in debt or struggling to budget, etc. We will only use anonymous information and statistics that do not identify individuals or families. We will ask your express permission if we wish to identify you or your family in the case study. This information helps us be open about our service and accessibility and helps us promote our aims as a charity. Information on children CAP does not process any information from individuals under the age of 16. Details of any under 16s are processed only when a parent or guardian is receiving assistance with their finances from CAP Debt Help. Your rights It is your right to request details of the information we hold about you. To receive a copy of the personal information we hold about you please write to our Data Protection Officer at the CAP head office address in Bradford, enclosing a cheque for 10 made payable to Christians Against Poverty. We will respond within 40 days of receiving your letter. 23.

24 Tips Budgeting tips Tips for keeping track of your money Use cash instead of a debit card. People spend up to 18% less when they use cash instead of cards. Have an envelope for each item in your budget (e.g. food, clothing, leisure) and put the budgeted amount in it so that it doesn t get swallowed up in everyday costs. Children Be honest and explain your situation to your children. Let them know what they can have and what they can t. Don t be frightened to say no. If they are old enough, show your children your budget so that they understand why you are saying no. Teach your children to manage money well. Set pocket money that you can afford and don t give them any extra. Don t be swayed by the latest toys and what the other kids at school get. If you have young children, ask your employer about the Childcare Vouchers scheme. This enables you to pay for childcare from pre-tax income and could save you up to 700 a year. Many cinemas show kids films at weekends for a cheaper ticket price. Avoid pastimes like shopping to entertain the kids. Try picnics and geocaching instead! Go to geocaching.com for more information. Tips for maximising your income Could you apply for a higher paid job, increase your hours or do some overtime to help you through a tough spot? If you are caring for a child, could you increase your income by working part time? Are you entitled to maintenance payments for your children? Contact Child Maintenance Options on for help. If your children have finished school and are still living at home, make sure they contribute to household bills. If you have a spare room, you might be able to take on a lodger to boost your income. Health Buy a three-month pre-payment prescription certificate from your pharmacy if you get regular prescriptions. You may be eligible for free eye tests. Opticians are required to give you a copy of your prescription, then you can buy your glasses from a cheap supplier such as eyeexperts.co.uk. CAP clients can pay using PayPal. Cut down on the amount of cigarettes you buy; put the right amount into your packet for the day and only smoke these. Talk to your doctor about quitting smoking. Creditors won t accept an allowance for cigarettes in your budget, so quitting will really help you. Healthcare for pets: Call the PDSA on , who can offer free veterinary care in some instances. 24.

25 1 Tips Telephones and TV/satellite/cable See if you can get a cheaper landline contract. There are some available for about 15 per month, even including broadband. If you don t make many calls, consider getting an incoming calls-only phone. The website saynoto0870.co.uk provides landline or Freephone options instead of expensive 0870 or 0845 numbers (or 0800 when calling from a mobile). Just type in the number and it gives you an alternative! Ask your mobile phone contract provider if there is a cheaper option based on your usage. Consider moving to pay as you go so that you have more control over how much you spend. A lot of phone companies offer free SIM card deals. Try to cut back by texting instead of calling and only using your phone in emergencies. Having a landline as well as a mobile phone may save you money on calls. People often pay for TV packages that they don t really use. Look at packages which combine phone, TV and internet, or consider getting a Freeview or Freesat box. Clothing Don t be tempted by designer labels. Stick to basics! Avoid the sales if you re easily tempted. Gas, electric and water Turn things off when you are not using them and don t leave electronic items on standby. Turn your thermostat down by a couple of degrees and wear extra layers. If you have a pre-payment meter, put more in during the summer than you need this will help you save up for the colder winter months. Make sure that you provide accurate meter readings regularly to your energy providers. Often, moving to a meter for water can save you money, especially if you have a small household. Look into whether you could save money by moving to a different supplier. A good website for this is uswitch.com. Food shopping Plan your meals for the week ahead and just shop for these meals. Always stick to a shopping list and don t impulse buy. Use a low-cost supermarket or local market for your basics. Have a look at approvedfood.co.uk, who offer online savings of up to 70% on groceries. Cooking in bulk is cheaper, so cook one meal for the whole family, rather than cooking individually. Try and freeze leftovers for another day. Make your own meals rather than buying ready meals. Give your kids packed lunches rather than school dinners. 25.

26 Tips Budgeting tips (continued) Rental/hire purchase items If you are renting electrical appliances, you will save money by saving up to buy an item outright instead. If it is possible to live without the item for a while, cancel the rental and return the item. Then put the money you would have spent on renting into a savings account until you have enough money to buy a replacement. Look for a second-hand shop near you where you can buy good quality furniture, washing machines and other items rather than renting or buying on hire purchase. Insurances Look at changing your insurer at each renewal, using the internet or the freephone numbers in the phone book. If you can call your insurer and say you have found a cheaper quote, they may reduce their rate to match it. CAP Money Course for clients CAP Money Courses run in churches throughout the UK to help you budget, save and spend well. Check if any run in your local area by entering your postcode at capuk.org. There is a specific one designed for CAP clients, so make sure you ask if they run that too. 26.

27 de b res ent tc Want more help? Learn to budget on a CAP Money Course Get the skills you need to find work at a CAP Job Club With a CAP Money Course or CAP Job Club you can get even more support as you move towards becoming debt free. See page four for more information about these courses. Find out more: capuk.org/gethelp Job Clubs CAP Money Course Lifting people out of debt and poverty

28 Disclaimer: This information is not intended to be legal advice and is for educational purposes only. Although care is taken to ensure that this information is accurate and correct at the time of writing, Christians Against Poverty cannot accept any responsibility for mistakes or omissions. Christians Against Poverty excludes to the extent lawfully permitted all liability for loss or damage arising from reliance upon this information. Copyright 2015 Christians Against Poverty. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced for any purpose without first obtaining written permission from Christians Against Poverty. Edition 11: January 2015 capdebthelp.org t: e: Registered Office: Jubilee Mill, North Street, Bradford, BD1 4EW. Registered Charity No Charity Registered in Scotland No. SC Company Limited by Guarantee, Registered in England and Wales No CAP is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registration No: Lifting people out of debt and poverty